Dundee have done some great work in rebuilding the connection to their fanbase.
Just remember the bad old days when Mark McGhee was in charge, season books were being thrown at John Nelms and barely any home fans turned up for a Scottish Cup quarter-final at Dens Park.
They’ve come a long way since that Rangers game and the low point of the 2021/22 season.
It helps that there has been success on the pitch – the Championship title win last season under Gary Bowyer has been followed by a top-six charge under Tony Docherty.
And, off the pitch, positive news has been flowing, too.
Dundee moved into a new training centre at Gardyne, the plans for a new stadium are moving on apace and there’s a link-up with Premier League Burnley.
There are brilliant young players to watch on the pitch in a strong squad playing some very decent football.
A lot of work goes into the playing side of things by manager Docherty and his staff.
And a ton of graft has gone on behind the scenes at the club to rebuild a relationship between club and fans that only a couple of years ago was in tatters.
They deserve a lot of credit for that.
However, it wouldn’t take much for that to turn.
Big risk
Dundee hiking season tickets is a big risk on that front.
It’s no big surprise to see prices going up from last year.
When the 2023/24 prices were revealed, the club were second in the Championship.
Promotion was far from certain, even midway through the final game of the season.
So, at a time of year when clubs need some money coming in, there was no way the Dark Blues could charge Premiership prices when there was still a big chance of Championship football at Dens.
The price of everything has gone up, so no doubt the club are feeling the pinch – and the playing budget has clearly gone up, so that needs paying for too.
Too much
But a price rise of £80 for a full adult season ticket to £490 is difficult to fathom.
Almost £500 for a seat in a stadium that is crumbling, with a pitch struggling to stage games feels like too much.
The biggest disappointment for me is the scrapping of the £1 season tickets for U/12s.
The club didn’t get nearly enough credit for that. It was a great way to attract parents and young fans to the games, keeping them coming back year after year.
Putting them up to £50 as well as senior and disabled tickets up £55 to £335 sends the wrong message.
Manager Tony Docherty spoke this week about the connection between the players and the supporters after over 2,500 Dees saw their side win at St Johnstone.
Dundee fans are enjoying watching one of the best Dens Park teams in recent years.
Just when a whole lot is going in the right direction, hiking prices by such a large amount risks undoing all that good work.
At a time when everyone’s pockets are being squeezed, it’s just too much.
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